1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus which records an image, characters, and the like based on image data received through a public line or the like and character code data output from a personal computer or the like, and a method therefor.
2. Related Background Art
A conventional facsimile apparatus comprising a facsimile (FAX) unit and a printer unit has the following arrangement (FIG. 39).
The FAX unit comprises an MPU 101 for controlling the operation of the entire FAX unit, a ROM 102 for storing control programs to be executed by the MPU 101, a RAM 103 used as a work area for the MPU 101 and an area for storing an image, a communication unit 104 for transmitting/receiving data, and an image reader 105 for reading an image.
The printer unit comprises an MPU 201 for controlling the operation of the entire printer unit, a ROM 202 for storing control programs to be executed by the MPU 201, a RAM 203 used as an area for storing data to be printed supplied from the FAX unit, a work area for the MPU 201, and the like, and a printing head 205 for printing an image.
Furthermore, a signal line 301 for exchanging data between the FAX unit and the printer unit is arranged.
In the facsimile apparatus having such an arrangement, a communication unit 104 in the FAX unit receives image data transmitted from a remote FAX transmitter, and supplies the received image data to the printer unit. Then, the received image is recorded by using a printing head 205.
In recent years, a system of utilizing the printer unit in a free state as a printer for an external device such as a personal computer or a wordprocessor while the facsimile apparatus does not operate has been proposed.
However, when the facsimile apparatus comprising the printer unit and the FAX unit is to be used as the output terminal of an external device, the following problems have arisen.
An external device and the FAX apparatus generally use different command systems, emulation modes, character fonts, and the like. For this reason, the printer unit cannot be used as the output terminal of an external device by merely connecting the printer unit to the external device.
That is, when the printer unit of the facsimile is merely connected to an external device through an external Centronics connector, and is operated as an output terminal of the external device after operation of the facsimile, the printer unit operates using an emulation mode, a character font, and the like set for the facsimile without changing the printer unit to printer setting for the external device, resulting in an operation error. The same operation error occurs when the printer unit is used as the facsimile after used as a printer for an external device.
In order to prevent such an operation error of the printer unit, a user changes printer setting every time printer unit is used and switched between an output terminal for an image received by the facsimile and the output terminal of an external device, resulting in a complicated operation.
Furthermore, any selection operation must be executed to set the printer unit of the facsimile to an output terminal for an image received by the facsimile, or the output terminal of an external device. If, however, this selection operation is always allowed unconditionally, a disadvantage may occur, e.g., a recording operation for an image received by the facsimile may be interrupted by switching the printer unit to the output terminal of the external device, or image recording from the output terminal of the external device may be wasted due to an abnormal recording operation.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has as its object to provide an improved image recording apparatus and method.
The present invention has another object to reliably record an image and a character in accordance with parameters suitable for respective recording operations in an image recording apparatus capable of recording an image and a character based on received image data and input code data.
The present invention has still another object to properly execute a switching operation between an image recording mode and a character recording mode.
The present invention provides an image recording apparatus comprising: reception means for receiving image data; input means for inputting character code data from an external device; setting means for setting an image recording parameter based on the image data, and a character recording parameter based on the character code data; and recording means for recording an image based on the image data in accordance with the image recording parameter, and a character based on the character code data in accordance with the character recording parameter.
The present invention also provides an image recording apparatus comprising: reception means for receiving image data; input means for inputting character code data from an external device; instruction means for instructing an image recording mode based on the image data, and a character recording mode based on the character code data; recording means for recording an image based on the image data in accordance with instruction of the image recording mode, and a character based on the character code data in accordance with instruction of the character recording mode; detection means for detecting a state of the recording means; and control means for determining the instruction of the character recording mode by the instruction means as valid or invalid in accordance with the detected state by the detection means.
The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.